What is Love?
by El Zoro
Summary: James is not sure about his feeling towards Lily. So to confirm, he simply asks one question, 'What is Love' "...they finally broke apart slowly. They now looked into each other's eyes, with just one emotion; love..." An extract from the story. R&R please!


**Author's note:** This is my first oneshot. It's just a cute one which I came up with, and so I definitely wanted to write it. I took some of the idea from the movie, "A beautiful Mind" that I was watching the other day. (Chapter 5 of 'Stood by her side' is in progress )  
Hope you like it  
**Disclaimer:** Don't own Harry Potter.

**What is Love?**

"Hey Lily?"  
James turned around from the couch he was sitting on, to look at the beautiful red-headed 7th year Gryffindor (She's the Head Girl, mind it) reading a book.  
They both were Heads this year, and so both decided to be civil for once and _not_ to fight. This idea was going great, and they grew to become really good friends.  
"Yeah?" Lily asked, turning to look at James. The fire that was crackling merrily in their Heads' common room had brought a different sort of light into Lily's green eyes, causing them to look even more bright and green than they were before. James seemed mesmerized by them.

"Can I ask you a question?" James asked.  
"Yeah. Shoot."  
"What is love?" 

Lily blinked. _That isn't like James… Normally he'd talk about anything _but _sensitive topics,_ she thought.  
"Uh, what?" She asked, expecting some other question.  
James repeated calmly, "What is love?"  
Lily paused for a while, thinking of some explanation.  
Then after a while, she left her book and went to seat herself beside James on the couch.  
Then she looked at him and said, "Well, let's see. Okay, tell me James. How big is the universe?"  
This time, James was the one who blinked in confusion.  
Caught slightly off-guard because of the sudden change in subjects, he said, "Pardon?"

"How big is the universe?"  
"Infinite"  
"And how do you know?"  
"The facts say so."  
"Did anyone go up there and measure the universe, that we are sure about it?"  
"They've been there, but haven't measured it-"  
She cut him off and asked, "Yes. They haven't measured it. But still how are we so sure that it's infinite?"

James paused for a while to come up with something, and then said, "Because it's just something we believe to be true."  
_Where was this heading to?_ He thought.  
Lily smiled, and then said slowly, 'Now I can't possibly tell you what love _is_, but what I can tell you is that love isn't something that can be sensed with our normal five senses. Love is something we've just gotta _believe_ in."  
They sat there gazing at the dancing flames of the fire, which was creating shadows across the room.

James was gazing at Lily all the while, when she was gazing deeply at the fire.  
Her hair was tied in a messy bun at the nape of her neck, and her pale face was framed with a few stray strands of hair. Her emerald green eyes had some flecks of gold in them. Her rose-red lips formed a slight pout. He noticed her lips seemed to do that out of their own accord whenever she was in a pensive mood. She was still in her school uniform, with her small legs tucked under her.

James asked this question because he wanted to confirm his feeling towards Lily.  
Were those feelings like that of a crush, or… was it something more?  
She was pretty. In fact, she was beautiful. But he wasn't sure whether he really meant it.  
In 1st year, when he first saw Lily, he couldn't get Lily out of her mind. Everywhere he looked, she'd be there. He thought these feelings might finish after sometime, because she never felt the same. But it's been seven years, _seven years_ and still Lily's on his mind.  
Was this something small, or was it the real thing?  
Were these feelings the real deal?

Was this love?

After shifting his own gaze at the fire, he asked quietly, "Do you think you believe in it?"  
Lily shifted her eyes onto her lap, and then said in a voice barely audible, "To be honest, I'm not sure."  
James turned to see her, and blinked.  
_Is it possible she felt the same…?  
_

Right now, he was sure that his feelings weren't small. They were definitely something else…

He picked his hand and rested it under her chin, then slowly lifted her face, so that now she was looking at him instead.  
"Then let me help you." James said in a low whisper.  
They both started leaning into each other slowly, breaking the space between them, until their lips met.  
It felt as if their lips were a perfect match. Her lips, soft like petals. His lips slightly chapped from playing Quidditch in cold weathers, but otherwise, sweet.

The kiss was like any other first kiss; soft, sweet, gentle, and most of all, _loving._ She rested one hand on his left cheek, and his hand now resting at the back of her neck.

They sat like that for a while, sharing many emotions into that one kiss; happiness, longing_, love_.  
But they needed oxygen, so they finally broke apart slowly. They now looked into each other's eyes, with just one emotion; love.

Lily rested her forehead against his, and her eyes fluttered open.

James spoke first, "Are you sure now?" he gave a lop-sided smile to her.  
She gave a genuine smile, and then her eyes gazed deeply into his hazel ones, as she said in a whisper, "Yes."


End file.
